The results were presented at ObesityWeek 2014, the 2nd Annual Congress of The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society.

According to the company, 92 percent (9 out of 10) of trial participants lost weight with liraglutide 3 mg treatment, in combination with diet and exercise, compared with 65% on placebo treatment.

People who completed the trial (56 weeks) demonstrated significantly greater weight loss of 9.2 percent compared with a 3.5 percent reduction in the placebo group (estimated difference [ED] 5.7 percent, p < 0.0001).

In addition, weight loss with liraglutide 3 mg was similar across a range of baseline body mass index (BMI) subgroups in people with obesity, from overweight to Class III obesity, at 56 weeks (p=0.054, %; p=0.54, kg) and independent of prediabetes status at screening (-8.0% with vs -7.9% without, p=0.59).

A larger proportion of people treated with liraglutide 3 mg completed the trial compared with those on placebo (72 percent vs. 64 percent).

All treatment groups followed a reduced-calorie diet and an increased physical activity programme.

Weight loss associated with liraglutide 3 mg was accompanied by improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as measured by three different questionnaires.

Greater improvements were seen with liraglutide 3 mg vs placebo. The Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite (IWQoL), total score improved mostly due to better physical function. Both the Short-Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) summary of physical scores and mental health scores improved.

"Obesity is more than a disease of excess weight," said Dr Ken Fujioka, Department of Nutrition and Metabolic Research, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California and a SCALE clinical trial investigator. "We know that people with obesity may experience increased physical and mental health problems, as well as a reduced quality of life. It is encouraging to see data suggesting that the weight loss benefits of liraglutide 3 mg are associated with improved health-related quality of life for people with obesity."

In addition, the total Treatment Related Impact Measure-Weight (TRIM-W) score was better at 56 weeks with liraglutide 3 mg compared with placebo treatment.